The elections were fought amidst tense ethnic and sectarian relations. An unnamed legislator associated with the Asom Gana Parishad declared before the elections that [5] :
The electorate in Assam will, however, keep a sharp eye on AGP's stand on the foreigners issue — so far its silence over this vexed problem was understandable. The stigma of fouling up the Indian Constitution. As a consequence thereof, they cannot talk of scrapping the part of the Assam accord. But the issue cannot be left hanging either. The immigrant vote bank is a treasure chest for any political party. The AGP can ill afford to disregard it. It is here that the BJP factor once again comes to the fore. The BJP has made the problem even more complex. It has sought to divide the immigrants into two clear cut sections strictly on religious grounds. The non-Muslims immigrating into India which mainly includes the Hindus and of course the Chakmas, are termed as refugees and are to be given shelter here. On the other hand, the Muslim immigrants are deemed as aliens and are to be detected and deported. This typical stand of the BJP makes little sense and in all likelihood it fails to make any impact on the electorate in Assam. However, there is another face of it. Reports of fundamentalism gaining ground in Assam and in the forthcoming hustings forces of pan-Islamic groups and those subscribing to Hindutva might play dominant roles. Though examples of anything communal making impact on the Assamese are rare, the time has come for the law enforcing authorities to expect the best but prepare for the worst. Prospects of the BJP improving the position in the Barak Valley are bright. There, of course, the question of the Bengali Hindus asserting their right for the sake of their identity is at stake. The Nepalis as well as the Chakmas coming to India in search of greener pastures, have added another dimensions to this festering problem. The peculiar stand of the government of Assam vis-à-vis the infiltration issue is diabolic to say the least. While the surrounding states have pushed the Chakmas out of their borders, all of them have taken refuge in Assam. Steps have been taken to deport them in batches to Bangladesh, but still many of them remain. Some of them even refuse to return to Bangladesh for fear of persecution from the illegal settlers there. Unless things are really sorted out in Bangladesh and also in Nepal the foreigners issue will surely remain a potential area for the political parties to make fresh forays. To sum up, the Assembly elections in Assam will be one of the most explosive ones in recent years. The strength of the opposition parties vis-à-vis the ruling Congress (I) will mark a new point in the state politics. Even the viability of the regional parties will be on test. Though the Left parties are trying to form a united front against the Congress but nothing concrete has yet emanated. [5]
